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Old 16-02-2005, 01:48 AM
Steve
 
Posts: n/a
Default Garden Irrigation

I have a typical 1500 sq ft ranch home in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin.
The previous owners let all plantings get wildly out of control and quite
honestly, the entire perimeter of the house was surrounded by larger shrubs
that were not my style.

I removed all the old plantings and started from scratch last year. On all 4
sides of the home there are flower and small shrub beds that basically
surround the home and project about 10 ft out on average. I have re-planted
the majority of this area with new, young, and small plantings. Some shrubs,
some flowers, some grasses, plants, etc.

I also have two larger garden areas in the yard and a vegtable area behind a
shed. These also need revitalizing but I've only gotten to these areas
slightly right now.

Now the fun - the home only has one outdoor water spigot so to date all my
watering has been by hand and with 400ft of hose to reach all areas. Yes,
all that hose is a pain, but not bad compared to the time it takes to just
water these areas. I can and likely will install a 2nd and potentially 3rd
outdoor spigot which means less hose handling at once. However, it really
won't cut down my time.

I need to find a way to keep the young plants well watered in much less
time. I have never used soaker or drip arrangements and such and I'm lookin
for info. I would like this year to setup say the soaker arrangment to loop
around and water the perimeter of the house.

How well do these work? How much lenght can I do? Pressure concerns? Can one
splice in non-soaker type tubing when running across areas that need no
water? I'd like to bury it under my mulch and leave it. Is this problematic
or generally ok? Will these things survive well over a winter? I'm willing
to take the time to install a proper system that works well and looks good
while not shifting my time effort into having to maintain the water lines
and connections. I would either via timer or personal effort turn on the
water flow and let it water the perimeter of the house while I water other
areas. I do not want to extend the system to other areas beyond the
perimeter of the house at least for another two to three years. I enjoy
tending to the other areas, just can't handle it all time wise due to
circumstances. Can anyone point me to resources or websites that might help
me learn, install, and answer questions on this? Any good pointers or bad
experiences?

thanks!


  #2   Report Post  
Old 16-02-2005, 12:55 PM
dps
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Soaker hose comes in two types: a regular hose with holes poked into it
and a hose made from recycled tires that is moderately porous, so it
leaks everywhere. The first type will send small jets out either in one
direction or in all directions, depending on how the holes are punched.
These jets can create small erosion areas, but they're not generally
serious. The recycled tire type is good for soaking an area, but has a
finite lifetime of only a couple of years on the average. Being on the
surface, it gets chewed by rodents, particularly during times of drought.

If you're going to bury something, it might as well be more conventional
inground irrigation tubing. Home Depot carries it, as well as the
emitters, which range from sprays to rotary jets. You can also get drip
emitters which can be placed adjacent to each shrub, so you aren't
wasting water on the weeds in between. You can get really fancy and
install a timer valve to do it all automatically. However, this wastes
water since it waters on a schedule, not according to need.

While you're about it, it isn't that hard to install more outdoor
spigots unless your basement is completely finished and you don't want
to run pipes through it. Put in as many as you can. I generally double
them up, placing two spigots right next to each other. One can have a
hose permanently attached and the other can be used to fill a bucket.

The soaker hose is the easiest thing to do, but the permanent
installation is the longest lasting thing to do.

If you bury something, you will want to provide for drainage so you can
empty it in the winter. An air compressor is not not necessary if you
have a low spot somewhere. Put a valve at the low spot, unhook the feed
lines at the high end and open the valve. Be sure that you provide
somewhere for the draining water to go, since you want it to drain all
at once. This ensures better drainage of the entire system without
leaving pockets of water. Note that polyethylene tubing will handle
occasional freezing of water, while the pvc pipe will not.

You might want to run a polyethylene tube out to the garden area. Mine
is buried about 2" deep. I drain it for the winter. At the house end I
put a male hose connection on and just attach it to the spigot with a
short length of washing machine hose (double female connections). On the
garden end I put in a short length of pressure treated 2x4 and tie the
hose to it with some plumbing, including a T and two spigots.


Steve wrote:
I have a typical 1500 sq ft ranch home in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin.
The previous owners let all plantings get wildly out of control and quite
honestly, the entire perimeter of the house was surrounded by larger shrubs
that were not my style.

I removed all the old plantings and started from scratch last year. On all 4
sides of the home there are flower and small shrub beds that basically
surround the home and project about 10 ft out on average. I have re-planted
the majority of this area with new, young, and small plantings. Some shrubs,
some flowers, some grasses, plants, etc.

I also have two larger garden areas in the yard and a vegtable area behind a
shed. These also need revitalizing but I've only gotten to these areas
slightly right now.

Now the fun - the home only has one outdoor water spigot so to date all my
watering has been by hand and with 400ft of hose to reach all areas. Yes,
all that hose is a pain, but not bad compared to the time it takes to just
water these areas. I can and likely will install a 2nd and potentially 3rd
outdoor spigot which means less hose handling at once. However, it really
won't cut down my time.

I need to find a way to keep the young plants well watered in much less
time. I have never used soaker or drip arrangements and such and I'm lookin
for info. I would like this year to setup say the soaker arrangment to loop
around and water the perimeter of the house.

How well do these work? How much lenght can I do? Pressure concerns? Can one
splice in non-soaker type tubing when running across areas that need no
water? I'd like to bury it under my mulch and leave it. Is this problematic
or generally ok? Will these things survive well over a winter? I'm willing
to take the time to install a proper system that works well and looks good
while not shifting my time effort into having to maintain the water lines
and connections. I would either via timer or personal effort turn on the
water flow and let it water the perimeter of the house while I water other
areas. I do not want to extend the system to other areas beyond the
perimeter of the house at least for another two to three years. I enjoy
tending to the other areas, just can't handle it all time wise due to
circumstances. Can anyone point me to resources or websites that might help
me learn, install, and answer questions on this? Any good pointers or bad
experiences?

thanks!


  #3   Report Post  
Old 16-02-2005, 06:29 PM
simy1
 
Posts: n/a
Default

My advice is to use drip. There are many fine websites that will help
you through the installation. Here is the one I used

http://stores.tiefert.com/garden/irrigation.html

I followed its advice to the letter, and I got high quality material
coming in through the mail. The only problem I had was that my only
outside faucet and the irrigation threads did not match properly. I
solved that with a trip to the local irrigation store. I, too, was
concerned about pressure, but if I can run 450ft of connection tubing,
attached to 200 ft of drip lines (eight in total) so will you. I have,
of course, a four faucets multiplier attached to that thing now.

Soaker hoses are not as good. Those I have tend to clog (the drip
system has turbulent flow, and can be washed at each end of season),
water unevenly, they don't branch easily, and they are very short for
my purposes. They were a waste of money. The drip system is gold. All I
need to do is turn on the water when I get home, and turn it off before
coming in for dinner.

  #4   Report Post  
Old 16-02-2005, 06:43 PM
Steve
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thanks very much for the info. It sounds like my best approach is the
polyethylene tubing and various emitters.I know its going to vary based on #
of emitters, spacing, water pressure, etc. However, is there a general rule
of thumb to how long of a tubing run and how many emitters one should have
in a single run?

Are there any good online sources for purchasing the various components
and/or for reading up on the different components available? I've searched
and found many, many resources, but looking for a good starting point.

thanks!


"dps" wrote in message
...
Soaker hose comes in two types: a regular hose with holes poked into it
and a hose made from recycled tires that is moderately porous, so it
leaks everywhere. The first type will send small jets out either in one
direction or in all directions, depending on how the holes are punched.
These jets can create small erosion areas, but they're not generally
serious. The recycled tire type is good for soaking an area, but has a
finite lifetime of only a couple of years on the average. Being on the
surface, it gets chewed by rodents, particularly during times of drought.

If you're going to bury something, it might as well be more conventional
inground irrigation tubing. Home Depot carries it, as well as the
emitters, which range from sprays to rotary jets. You can also get drip
emitters which can be placed adjacent to each shrub, so you aren't
wasting water on the weeds in between. You can get really fancy and
install a timer valve to do it all automatically. However, this wastes
water since it waters on a schedule, not according to need.

While you're about it, it isn't that hard to install more outdoor
spigots unless your basement is completely finished and you don't want
to run pipes through it. Put in as many as you can. I generally double
them up, placing two spigots right next to each other. One can have a
hose permanently attached and the other can be used to fill a bucket.

The soaker hose is the easiest thing to do, but the permanent
installation is the longest lasting thing to do.

If you bury something, you will want to provide for drainage so you can
empty it in the winter. An air compressor is not not necessary if you
have a low spot somewhere. Put a valve at the low spot, unhook the feed
lines at the high end and open the valve. Be sure that you provide
somewhere for the draining water to go, since you want it to drain all
at once. This ensures better drainage of the entire system without
leaving pockets of water. Note that polyethylene tubing will handle
occasional freezing of water, while the pvc pipe will not.

You might want to run a polyethylene tube out to the garden area. Mine
is buried about 2" deep. I drain it for the winter. At the house end I
put a male hose connection on and just attach it to the spigot with a
short length of washing machine hose (double female connections). On the
garden end I put in a short length of pressure treated 2x4 and tie the
hose to it with some plumbing, including a T and two spigots.




  #5   Report Post  
Old 16-02-2005, 07:57 PM
John Bachman
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:43:46 -0600, "Steve"
wrote:

Thanks very much for the info. It sounds like my best approach is the
polyethylene tubing and various emitters.I know its going to vary based on #
of emitters, spacing, water pressure, etc. However, is there a general rule
of thumb to how long of a tubing run and how many emitters one should have
in a single run?

Are there any good online sources for purchasing the various components
and/or for reading up on the different components available? I've searched
and found many, many resources, but looking for a good starting point.

thanks!


"dps" wrote in message
...
Soaker hose comes in two types: a regular hose with holes poked into it
and a hose made from recycled tires that is moderately porous, so it
leaks everywhere. The first type will send small jets out either in one
direction or in all directions, depending on how the holes are punched.
These jets can create small erosion areas, but they're not generally
serious. The recycled tire type is good for soaking an area, but has a
finite lifetime of only a couple of years on the average. Being on the
surface, it gets chewed by rodents, particularly during times of drought.

If you're going to bury something, it might as well be more conventional
inground irrigation tubing. Home Depot carries it, as well as the
emitters, which range from sprays to rotary jets. You can also get drip
emitters which can be placed adjacent to each shrub, so you aren't
wasting water on the weeds in between. You can get really fancy and
install a timer valve to do it all automatically. However, this wastes
water since it waters on a schedule, not according to need.

While you're about it, it isn't that hard to install more outdoor
spigots unless your basement is completely finished and you don't want
to run pipes through it. Put in as many as you can. I generally double
them up, placing two spigots right next to each other. One can have a
hose permanently attached and the other can be used to fill a bucket.

The soaker hose is the easiest thing to do, but the permanent
installation is the longest lasting thing to do.


I have soaker hose that has been in the ground for 13 years with no
problems. It is the recycled tire type. I use it in rows of
raspberries and strawberrys where I really prefer a ground soaking
rather than a spray on the plants - that encourages fungal problems.

John


  #6   Report Post  
Old 16-02-2005, 09:02 PM
Warren
 
Posts: n/a
Default

John Bachman wrote:
I have soaker hose that has been in the ground for 13 years with no
problems. It is the recycled tire type. I use it in rows of
raspberries and strawberrys where I really prefer a ground soaking
rather than a spray on the plants - that encourages fungal problems.


I started with a combination of recycled tire soaker hoses, and drip
irrigation. I have removed all the drip irrigation, and replaced it with
the soaker hoses.

Why? Well, the drip emitters were constantly getting clogged. I had to
be super careful when working around the tubing. I had to drain the
tubing for the winter. It just all got to be too much trouble.

The soaker hoses are pretty tough. If I bump them with a hoe or rake,
they don't need to be repaired. They don't clog. I can leave them out
for the winter without draining them because they are essentially
self-draining. Initially they were more obvious in the beds, and less
aesthetically pleasing, but as plantings around them became more mature,
and mulch built-up, they've disappeared into the landscaping.

These days every bed has soaker hoses snaking through them. I have a big
spiral that I lift out of the way when preparing the summer vegetable
bed, and then drop it back into place before putting in the transplants.
The only place I still use overhead watering are the containers I water
by hand, and the only section of the lawn that I water during the
summer. I have quick disconnects on everything, and a small collection
of meters and timers that I move around as needed. (I especially need
things to automatically turn-off zones as I always forget what I
started.)

Every spigot has 2-way or 4-way splitters, and during the summer I have
one 100' length of hose that's always under pressure going to a splitter
with quick-disconnects in a far corner of the yard. Some of the soaker
hoses also have segments of regular hose running between the start of
the soaker zone, and the water source. Those get drained for the winter,
but are left in place. Nearly every connection has a quick disconnect to
isolate zones, and insert timers or meters as needed.

What I do may not work for everyone -- especially if you're not
someplace with mild winters. But I'd never go back to drip irrigation,
and clogged emitters. I want to spend time deciding where to water, and
how much. With drip irrigation I needed to do that *and* spend a lot of
time maintaining the system. Too much of a pain.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Get ready for spring with Black & Decker landscaping tools:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blac...ker/index.html



  #7   Report Post  
Old 16-02-2005, 09:24 PM
simy1
 
Posts: n/a
Default


Steve wrote:

I need to find a way to keep the young plants well watered in much

less
time. I have never used soaker or drip arrangements and such and I'm

lookin
for info. I would like this year to setup say the soaker arrangment

to loop
around and water the perimeter of the house.


to continue my previous post: the other thing about soakers is that
their jets
spread water a bit more than drip but will wet leaves as well. soakers
and tomatoes, for example, won't mix (same for squash). and of course
they tend to use more water.
The cons of drip are that they tend to deposit water in a very
concentrated way, basically a narrow cone under each hole. It is a
problem with sandy soil, much less so with clay.



How well do these work? How much lenght can I do? Pressure concerns?

Can one
splice in non-soaker type tubing when running across areas that need

no
water? I'd like to bury it under my mulch and leave it. Is this

problematic
or generally ok? Will these things survive well over a winter?


in winter any leftover water will freeze. If the pipe is full anywhere,
it may shatter. I take out the end plug of the drip lines, run water
for a minute or so through each (secret is to open only one at a time,
so all flow goes down that line)to clean them for the season, then
replace the plug, hold it high while coiling it (to empty the water
back into the main line). I have a gently undulating yard, and I placed
a valve at the lowest point in the main line (within a concrete housing
to allow easy access, I should have just used a single cinder block). I
purge the main line there for the winter.

Two more things. The first is backpressure. If you run the water, then
turn it off, the line will develop a backpressure and will suck air and
debris through the pinholes, contributing (a lot) to clogging - more so
if line is buried in mulch. Two ways to eliminate it: use a backflow
preventer, which I have but no longer use, or make it a point, as I do,
to open another of the four spigots when you turn off the water. Air
will then come in through the other spigot and quickly balance
pressure.

The other thing to watch for are rodents. I have wrapped my main line
in chicken wire in two places with high rodent activity. I also cover
my drip lines with mulch to eliminate UV ageing.

So, a good preparation makes for a fairly maintenance free system.
prevent clogging, prevent freezing.

I'm willing
to take the time to install a proper system that works well and looks

good
while not shifting my time effort into having to maintain the water

lines
and connections. I would either via timer or personal effort turn on

the
water flow and let it water the perimeter of the house while I water

other
areas. I do not want to extend the system to other areas beyond the
perimeter of the house at least for another two to three years. I

enjoy
tending to the other areas, just can't handle it all time wise due to


circumstances. Can anyone point me to resources or websites that

might help
me learn, install, and answer questions on this? Any good pointers or

bad
experiences?

thanks!


  #8   Report Post  
Old 16-02-2005, 10:02 PM
dps
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Drip irrigation requires a filter on the line to avoid the problem of
clogged emitters. Public water supplies are not immune to debris in the
line that can clog the drip emitters. I use the disk filters: they're
cheap and when they get clogged they can be cleaned and reused. A filter
for a 3/4" water line (~10gpm) is around $15-20 and lasts for years (has
to be drained in the winter [I'm in New England, so I can't count on
mild winters]).

I have had voles chew on the soaker hoses, both above and below ground.
I have had hoes cut the hoses (I keep my hoes sharp). IMHO the drip
irrigation is more cost effective for me.

Draining the tubing for the winter takes me about 10 minutes for about
700' of tubing. I open the high spot, then open the low spot and the
water is sucked out of the line. When it's drained I go around and open
all the other valves (I frequently use ball valves). The low spot is
buried in a valve box and I also buried 20' of 4" perforated pipe. That
gives the water someplace to go while it's draining and lets it soak
into the ground when it's done.

I use 2-way splitters on spigots occasionally, but I'm cheap, so I buy
the cheap plastic ones. They break from rough use. It actually costs
less to buy a spigot at Home Depot than it does to buy a brass splitter,
so I use double spigots whenever I'm putting in new plumbing. My opinion
of quick disconnects is that they reduce the flow, but I have no real
basis for that opinion since I don't use them.

This is what works for me.


Warren wrote:
I started with a combination of recycled tire soaker hoses, and drip
irrigation. I have removed all the drip irrigation, and replaced it with
the soaker hoses.

Why? Well, the drip emitters were constantly getting clogged. I had to
be super careful when working around the tubing. I had to drain the
tubing for the winter. It just all got to be too much trouble.

The soaker hoses are pretty tough. If I bump them with a hoe or rake,
they don't need to be repaired. They don't clog. I can leave them out
for the winter without draining them because they are essentially
self-draining. Initially they were more obvious in the beds, and less
aesthetically pleasing, but as plantings around them became more mature,
and mulch built-up, they've disappeared into the landscaping.

These days every bed has soaker hoses snaking through them. I have a big
spiral that I lift out of the way when preparing the summer vegetable
bed, and then drop it back into place before putting in the transplants.
The only place I still use overhead watering are the containers I water
by hand, and the only section of the lawn that I water during the
summer. I have quick disconnects on everything, and a small collection
of meters and timers that I move around as needed. (I especially need
things to automatically turn-off zones as I always forget what I
started.)

Every spigot has 2-way or 4-way splitters, and during the summer I have
one 100' length of hose that's always under pressure going to a splitter
with quick-disconnects in a far corner of the yard. Some of the soaker
hoses also have segments of regular hose running between the start of
the soaker zone, and the water source. Those get drained for the winter,
but are left in place. Nearly every connection has a quick disconnect to
isolate zones, and insert timers or meters as needed.

What I do may not work for everyone -- especially if you're not
someplace with mild winters. But I'd never go back to drip irrigation,
and clogged emitters. I want to spend time deciding where to water, and
how much. With drip irrigation I needed to do that *and* spend a lot of
time maintaining the system. Too much of a pain.

  #9   Report Post  
Old 16-02-2005, 10:16 PM
John Bachman
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 17:02:54 -0500, dps
wrote:

Drip irrigation requires a filter on the line to avoid the problem of
clogged emitters. Public water supplies are not immune to debris in the
line that can clog the drip emitters. I use the disk filters: they're
cheap and when they get clogged they can be cleaned and reused. A filter
for a 3/4" water line (~10gpm) is around $15-20 and lasts for years (has
to be drained in the winter [I'm in New England, so I can't count on
mild winters]).


Mild winters are not required for soaker hoses. Mine have survived 13
years in New Hampshire.

John

  #10   Report Post  
Old 17-02-2005, 01:46 AM
Warren
 
Posts: n/a
Default

simy1 wrote:
to continue my previous post: the other thing about soakers is that
their jets
spread water a bit more than drip but will wet leaves as well. soakers
and tomatoes, for example, won't mix (same for squash). and of course
they tend to use more water.


Jets? Spread water? Use more water?

I think we're talking about two different things here.

The soaker hoses I'm talking about weep water. They have no spray at
all. They simply weep water and soak the ground.

Maybe you're thinking of those flat things with the pinholes that spray
water along their length. I've heard some people call them soakers
because you can get soaking wet when you're around them, but I'm talking
about the recycled rubber hoses that weep.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Get ready for spring with Black & Decker landscaping tools:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blac...ker/index.html





  #11   Report Post  
Old 17-02-2005, 01:49 PM
dps
 
Posts: n/a
Default

While the recycled tire soaker hoses just ooze water generally, they
sometimes do develop (manufacturing defects?) pinholes that can spray
out 5' or more. This is moderately common with the ones I've used, but
not a real problem unless you are trying to keep your foliage dry. Then
Murphy steps in and your hose will leak more. I estimate that less than
1% of the water is lost in unwanted jets.

Warren wrote:
...Jets? Spread water? Use more water?

I think we're talking about two different things here.

The soaker hoses I'm talking about weep water. They have no spray at
all. They simply weep water and soak the ground...

  #12   Report Post  
Old 18-02-2005, 12:57 PM
Mr Gardener
 
Posts: n/a
Default


On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 08:49:21 -0500, dps
wrote:

While the recycled tire soaker hoses just ooze water generally, they
sometimes do develop (manufacturing defects?) pinholes that can spray
out 5' or more. This is moderately common with the ones I've used, but
not a real problem unless you are trying to keep your foliage dry. Then
Murphy steps in and your hose will leak more. I estimate that less than
1% of the water is lost in unwanted jets.


I use tire-type soaker hoses in my perennial beds at lengths up to 100
feet. They are buried 3 or 4 inches in the soil, and remain there year
'round. I keep several inches at the distal end above ground, so that
when I turn on the water, I can see when the hose is weeping along its
full length. When water is below the surface, gravity no longer
determines the direction of flow, and the water disperses
horizontally, by capillary action, I think, wetting an area about a
foot to two feet on either side of the hose. I rely heavily on a
moisture meter to tell me when the beds are sufficiently watered,
since the soil surface ofter appears dry even though the soil below is
soaking wet. I also use this method in my vegetable beds, but it can
be a real pain because food gardens are frequently cultivated during
the season. I'm exploring the possibilities of switching to a surface
drip system, so this thread is most interesting to me.


-- Mr Gardener
-- Zone 5 - On The Maine Coast
  #13   Report Post  
Old 18-02-2005, 03:32 PM
John Bachman
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:57:50 -0500, Mr Gardener
wrote:


On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 08:49:21 -0500, dps
wrote:

While the recycled tire soaker hoses just ooze water generally, they
sometimes do develop (manufacturing defects?) pinholes that can spray
out 5' or more. This is moderately common with the ones I've used, but
not a real problem unless you are trying to keep your foliage dry. Then
Murphy steps in and your hose will leak more. I estimate that less than
1% of the water is lost in unwanted jets.


I use tire-type soaker hoses in my perennial beds at lengths up to 100
feet. They are buried 3 or 4 inches in the soil, and remain there year
'round. I keep several inches at the distal end above ground, so that
when I turn on the water, I can see when the hose is weeping along its
full length. When water is below the surface, gravity no longer
determines the direction of flow, and the water disperses
horizontally, by capillary action, I think, wetting an area about a
foot to two feet on either side of the hose. I rely heavily on a
moisture meter to tell me when the beds are sufficiently watered,
since the soil surface ofter appears dry even though the soil below is
soaking wet. I also use this method in my vegetable beds, but it can
be a real pain because food gardens are frequently cultivated during
the season. I'm exploring the possibilities of switching to a surface
drip system, so this thread is most interesting to me.


I use the soaker also, permanently in the ground for permanant
plantings such as raspberries and strawberries.

I take the soaker up from the vegetable garden every fall. I
fabricated a reel similar to the large cable reels and wind them up on
that. It makes the seasonal installing/removing much easier and I can
easily rototill the garden in spring and fall.

John
-------------------------------------------
All of my dumb opinions are my own. If I ever have a smart one it
will be wife's.
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Old 18-02-2005, 08:31 PM
dps
 
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Mr Gardener wrote:
.... When water is below the surface, gravity no longer
determines the direction of flow, and the water disperses
horizontally, by capillary action, I think, wetting an area about a
foot to two feet on either side of the hose....



Not quite. While capillary action disperses the water better from a
buried hose, gravity acts on it all the same. The advantage to a buried
hose is that the water can go up as well as out. However, if you try
this in pure sand, you fill find the moisture goes predominantly
downward. The extent to which the moisture will spread depends strongly
on the type of soil you are using.

On the subject of soil type, I ran across a simple test to find your
soil's place on the old soil triangle.
http://everything2.com/?node_id=1698166
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Old 18-02-2005, 10:15 PM
nonews
 
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I missed most of this thread but perhaps this was not mentioned before.

Go to google and enter http://www.dripworksusa.com/ . Then at the left side
of their site request their mail-order catalog. It provides lots of
instruction and covers all types of irrigation supplies. Also go to google
and enter http://www.berryhilldrip.com/ . Request their mail-order catalog.
Both are good companies to deal with. Drip Works will design a system if
requested and its free. Berry Hill does not have the largest selection of
parts for home use. Get both catalogs and you have both coasts which may
mean lower shipping costs.

Do not buy the drip kits sold at retail big box stores. They seldom include
a filter and a pressure regulator which are needed for long-term survival of
the drip lines and emitters. Yes, city water does have "lumps" in it which
will clog the emitters. These retail systems need a pressure regulator to
lower the city pressure and avoid the opening of new holes (blowout).

I have several thousand feet of drip lines from NetaFim which have been in
for 16 years in beds of perennials, shrubs and trees. These drip lines are
above ground. I tried some underground but the joints (lock fittings) do
loosen over winter and also by roots growing in and opening the joint. In
the spring do a one time check to tighten loose fittings. Winter freezing is
not a problem in the drip lines but the filter, pressure regulator and
automatic valves need to be removed in the winter to prevent damage.

I tried some soaker hoses but over time new larger openings appeared and
allowed water to spew out (over-watered spots). Some problems are reported
with calcium blocking the holes in soaker hose. The emitters in drip lines
are designed to create turbulence in the emitter which reduces clogging.
Also if soaker hoses are used on hilly ground you do not get uniform
watering (lower is wetter). The drip line systems do provide uniform
watering and I have never had a drip emitter clog.

Drip works and it beats the heck of dragging a hose around in hot weather.






"dps" wrote in message
...
Mr Gardener wrote:
.... When water is below the surface, gravity no longer
determines the direction of flow, and the water disperses
horizontally, by capillary action, I think, wetting an area about a
foot to two feet on either side of the hose....



Not quite. While capillary action disperses the water better from a
buried hose, gravity acts on it all the same. The advantage to a buried
hose is that the water can go up as well as out. However, if you try
this in pure sand, you fill find the moisture goes predominantly
downward. The extent to which the moisture will spread depends strongly
on the type of soil you are using.

On the subject of soil type, I ran across a simple test to find your
soil's place on the old soil triangle.
http://everything2.com/?node_id=1698166


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